


Labyrinth

by Anonymous



Series: MCYT Fics [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Anxiety, Dream Smp, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Paranoia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28381206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Tommy was worried about debt, and the unknown favor that Techno still owed Dream.(Or: Tommy's confrontation with Dream doesn't go as well as he hoped it would.)
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: MCYT Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031223
Comments: 12
Kudos: 94
Collections: Anonymous





	Labyrinth

The walk back home was lively.

How could it not be? The day started out a little rough (despite the gifts that were given to him out of the blue that morning) but it ended with him finally finding the courage to stand up to Dream. With the help of Techno (one of the most powerful men he's ever met, standing right by his side the entire time) he faced Dream, cussed him out, and walked right past him- from the nation he was exiled from, right into the nether he was supposed to be banned from.

It was exhilarating. The adrenaline left him shaky and talkative, surprisingly reciprocated by Techno, who managed to keep up with the fast conversation he was trying to have.

It would've been one of the best days of his life... if a certain conversation went a little differently.

( _"Well, that's going to be a bit of a problem, Dream… because this guy's with me."_

Tommy remembered momentarily feeling safe, thinking that he still had someone as strong as Techno protecting him.

 _"Unless, of course, you want to call in that favor?"_ )

When he winded down, enough to play the scenario over in his head and realize exactly what happened, that was a moment he couldn't believe that he forgot. In times like these, when the number of Tommy's friends were dropping like flies (when even the slightest misconception would leave a horrible taste in his mouth, and make the count go down even more) he was usually top these kinds of things. (Usually, he’d find himself looking too deeply into situations like these as they were playing out before him.)

When the conversation played out in his head again, just as he was falling asleep, the revelation hit him like a truck.

Favor.

Favor?

What _favor_?

What the hell did Dream do that made Techno feel like he owed him something? (And why did Techno bring it up after saying that he was there to protect Tommy?)

At first, Tommy was confident that Techno was the only person left that wouldn't rat him out to Dream. Someone that not only made an effort to hide him the many times Dream came over, but someone who was also friends with his dad (practically best friends, from what he's heard.) When he first broke in, he thought to himself- _surely, Techno wouldn't kill me if he found me hiding under his base, because he knows that it would upset Phil if he tried._

But Tommy hadn't seen Philza in a long time. If Techno did turn him in, and Tommy suddenly disappeared, he could lie about knowing what happened and get away with it.

The thought alone prevented Tommy from getting a good night’s sleep, eyes wide and staring in the darkness of the home he carved out for himself below Techno's base, jumping at even the slightest of sounds coming from up above.

(He noticed the way Techno relaxed after asking if Dream wanted to cash in the mysterious favor, face neutral and calm like he was talking about trading something less important than someone's life.

He was dismissive in the moment when Tommy asked about it. Maybe that was why he didn't continue to question it. Maybe, after Dream assured him that it wouldn't be necessary, Tommy assumed that it wasn't that important to think about.

Maybe, on the walk home, he didn't want to ruin the moment. The excited, electrical mood that struck the two of them after standing up to someone that powerful and living. The way Techno couldn't seem to stop laughing, even though Tommy could count on one hand the number of times he's heard him laugh that hard or that long.

Whatever it was, it still ended up coming back to haunt him, and Tommy wasn't sure what to do now that it felt like the only person he had left to protect him was constantly close to betraying him.)

-

Tommy was mostly known for his tendency to build large cobblestone towers. But, if you asked anyone that knew him well enough, they'd also tell you that he loved making tunnels just as much.

It was a tunnel to a bunker that saved him and his friend's lives in the war for Ľmanberg's independence. In his old home (abandoned, thankfully untouched,) there were tunnels hiding away underneath, as well as a 'sewer' that he built long before he was exiled. He didn't do much in Logstedshire because of a slump he was in, but the minute he left, he carved out a tunnel underneath Techno’s house and called it his new home.

Now that Tommy was starting to feel paranoid all over again, thinking that Techno (at any point, even though he was the one that offered to team with him) could sell him out, and knowing that Techno would not approve of him building another tower to blow off steam, Tommy started to dig.

Tommy spent hours making and memorizing the paths that ran under Techno’s base. At one point, when his arms were sore and reminding him that he wasn't taking any sort of breaks, despite feeling like he wasn't far from collapsing and taking a 14-hour nap, he tried running through them. He imagined the situation perfectly- Techno selling him out without hesitation, and Tommy running through the maze of tunnels he knew how to navigate by heart to give him enough time to make his daring escape.

(It reminded him of a time where he'd do the same in his old base, running through the tunnels and bragging to an old friend that it'd be the perfect escape route if he were being chased or needed to get someone off his tail.

If he told his past self at that moment that he would actually have to use that method, he would've been called crazy. Or, knowing how large his ego used to be, he would've been praised and called a genius for being able to think so far ahead.)

-

Tommy had a nightmare. A scenario where he had to use his tunnel, but it wasn't working. He got lost. He was running too slowly to get away from Dream. He slipped and barely managed to catch himself, shaky and feeling an overwhelming sense of dread from every small mistake he was making.

Just as Dream caught up with him, he woke up, heart pounding and breathing erratic. It took awhile for him to remember that (for now) he was fine. He was safe. The tunnels he was hiding were there to reassure him, and that stressing out over having to use them was only going to make everything worse.

Knowing that he wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon, Tommy went into the tunnels and practiced running through them. Over and over again, moving way faster than he was in the dream, knowing that this could be his upper hand as long as he kept it secret.

-

The stone slab that separated him from the rest of Techno's base moved. And, while Tommy usually ignored the sound (back then, knowing that it was just Techno coming to check in on him) he found himself waking up because of it.

"Tommy?"

Wide-eyed, staring at the opening in his ceiling, but remaining completely still. Like he wouldn't be noticed if he stayed like that. (Like his heart hammering in his chest wasn’t louder than the sound of Techno's voice, like he wasn’t panicking and seconds away from dashing towards the entrance to his tunnel.)

"Tommy." Techno tried again.

He remained completely still. Techno sighed, and moved the slab back into place.

Even though he knew that Techno wouldn't be bothering him again anytime soon, Tommy kept an ear out for him. He listened to his restless footsteps walking on the floor just above him.

He waited.

But he never heard a second person walking around with him.

-

"I thought you died or something."

Tommy didn't face him. He instead busied himself by looking through his chest, acting like he was trying to find something specific.

"I've just been mining."

"Are you expanding your room?"

"No, I'm… trying to find diamonds."

"Did you break your tools?"

"No."

He heard Techno hum, and wondered why he was dragging on what could've been a quick conversation, "Remind me later to put mending on your pickaxe so it'll last longer."

"Will do."

"Also, I don't know how your food situation is down there, but you better not be wasting all my golden apples."

The golden apples, though quickly running out, were addicting. One bite and, suddenly, Tommy felt like he had enough energy and health to take on someone in a fight.

While building the tunnel, it was one of his only sources of comfort. He wasn't sure if he had anything else to eat.

"I'm not."

"I'm serious, Tommy. I have steak up here."

"I know."

"I also have golden carrots. Lots of them."

"I know."

"If you needed something else to eat, all you have to do is ask-"

" _I will_."

Techno huffed. 

"If you say so."

Then he (finally) left him alone, sliding the slab back into place.

Tommy felt himself breathing a huge sigh of relief when he was gone.

-

He knew, realistically, he couldn't hide from Techno forever. They lived together, and if Tommy wanted to keep the suspicion down, he knew he would have to come back up sometime and face him. But when Techno poked his head through the hole in his ceiling, asking for Tommy to come join him on a walk to a nearby village, he immediately panicked.

It was way too soon, wasn't it? He still hasn't processed everything. He didn't know if he could look Techno in the eye or have a normal conversation with him. He didn't feel prepared.

But, for the sake of not looking suspicious, he agreed to it.

The realization that this could've been a trap hit him the minute he stepped outside. But, at that point, he knew that it was too late to back out.

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Tommy paid very close attention to their surroundings as they walked to the village. (As if Dream was hiding behind one of the many surrounding trees, preparing to jump out at him when he least expected it.)

"So…" He found himself saying when they entered the village and Dream was still nowhere to be seen, "Why did you want me to come along?"

"To get you out of the house."

"Oh."

Techno's eyes narrowed. Tommy looked away, but he could tell that he was still staring at him.

"You've been acting really strange lately." Techno continued, "I thought the fresh air would do you some good."

"That's very considerate of you, Techno."

"Considerate?"

"Yes."

"Tommy-" He put a hand on his shoulder, and immediately took it off when it made Tommy jump, "What's going on with you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're being… quiet. And jumpy."

"I have every reason to be."

He scoffed, "Trust me, Tommy. As long as we're working together, you won't have to worry about Dream harassing you."

He hated how Techno managed to hit the nail on the head. "As far as I know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Tommy gritted his teeth so hard he almost started grinding them together. After saying that, he knew that trying to brush off the situation was pointless.

Techno wasn't dumb.

"I heard you talking to Dream. I was right there, when you talked about him…" It was almost too hard for him to say, "...cashing in a favor."

A long pause followed.

Then, "Oh... I was just bluffing."

"Were you?" He pressed.

Tommy finally looked at his face again, and was disappointed to find it completely neutral. (Just as it had been when he was talking with Dream. Tommy wanted to guess that it was because Techno was trying to lie to him, but he didn't know him well enough to be able to pick up on that kind of tell.)

"We're on the same side here, Tommy, I'm not planning on betraying you. Besides- why would I waste my time keeping up an act? What good would that do for me?"

Tommy could think of a number of reasons why Techno would keep something like this up for so long, all stemming from the last time they tried working together, and how Techno had later exclaimed that he was frustrated over being used.

But Tommy wasn't worried about Techno planning a team-up with the end goal of stabbing him in the back. This wasn't Wilbur they were talking about (who's plans were always like this, just for the sake of putting on a show and making everyone miserable in the process.) He was worried that the next time, going to confront Dream, Techno would switch sides the minute he realized that it would be beneficial for him.

Tommy was worried about debt, and the unknown favor that Dream still had to cash in.

He forced himself to sigh.

"You're right." He muttered, "Sorry, I'm just being paranoid."

-

He didn't tell Techno about the hidden tunnels under his house.

Tommy still couldn't shake off the feeling that he'd have to use them sometime soon.


End file.
